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In 1972 the AMBUCS of Ponca City wanted to expand the Saturday spectator turnout. The solution was the “Cherokee Strip 80,” an 80 lap enduro for showroom stock sedans and sports cars. This was a money race, with the drivers dividing a minimum pot of $600.00. The length was to be extended one lap for each successive year.

By 1974 the event was so successful that two other SCCA Regions combined with Oklahoma Region to establish the “Pan American Enduro”. Wichita Region would have a similar Enduro at Lake Afton and St. Louis Region’s race was to be at Mid-America Raceways. A Championship fund was established, and that fund would be distributed in accordance with points earned at all three events. At the April, 1975 Membership Meeting, Competition Chairman David Dooley discussed some of the plans for the Showroom Stock - Cherokee 83 race at Ponca City. “They (AMBUCS) plan to have an endurance race that will be one of three races where the drivers will accumulate points with the winner hopefully winning some prize money. They plan to pay through tenth place if possible.”

The only published coverage of the race itself was in the August, 1975 Gazette wherein ORDA Chairman Bill Brollier reported, “Now to Ponca City . . . Saturday saw the opening round of the Pan-Am series. It was as exciting as hoped for and it promises to be as good during the second round at Lake Afton on Aug. 16 & 17. Oklahomans took four of the top five places with Messrs. Dooley & Mullaly getting the win.”

The following photos were taken by Jerry Doctor of Nebraska Region SCCA.

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In order to present some of the flavor of the racing, Bill Brollier’s ORDA report on the Lake Afton Race follows:

“The schedule for this two day national called for three races on Saturday and the rest on Sunday. This is the format we used with quite a bit of success at Ponca City. It gives great races for little cars on Saturday (SSS, SSC, FV & FF) and little races for great big cars on Sunday.

Race 1 for SSS & SSC was a fake Pan American race. I had the inside line on this race, not being a Pan Am and so left my car unencumbered with numbers and roll bar and attended as relief driver for Rick Shelby. Most drivers thought this was a Pan Am race and so entries were up from the 8 of last year to 21 this year. The race was run Pan Am Enduro style (with a $ payoff) including a modified LeMans start (driver strapped in car with an assistant sprinting across the track to give him the car key so he could go racing) and a mandatory pit stop. Rick qualified the car 2nd in SSC behind ORDA’s Bob Orr in a Porsche and we planned on staying a close second to Bob and hope the Porsche would falter. Well, the best laid plans....

Rick was strapped in the car for the start, 19 other sprinters and I were across the track with the ignition keys and Don Harder was behind us with a shotgun to be used as the starting signal. Ever been shot at by a shotgun? It is something you don’t forget, so when Don fired that mother, Rick was the first car on the track and was well down the road by the time the traffic jam occurred. The Ponca City start worked well because different drivers buckle up their belts at different speeds. The Afton start almost did not work because I guess everybody but Rick (and Jerry Miller) take the same amount of time to turn on the ignition. But no one got trashed and they all raced off towards turn one.

First lap and now I know our strategy is all messed up - we were planning on running in the top five or six but here was Rick in 1st place by about two or eight car lengths. Soon our fortunes changes as an off-track excursion, complete with a 4’ (in elevation) flight and a rough landing put the brave Opel’s fan and radiator together and ended our race. So then I started looking around to see what other Okla. Region Driver’s crew needed some help. Surely the England/Saucier team Datsun didn’t cause every time John (the starting driver) came around George (his father-in-law) England would dance a little jig and proclaim “If he keeps this up, I will let him drive the whole race” Seems John was turning lap times equal to or better than their qualifying and getting faster every lap.

I ended up assisting Bob Orr’s crew (his wife Donna). Yes, this is the same Orr that Rick and I were planning on knocking off when he faltered, but we were out of the race and he needed help. And falter Bob did when his contact lens came off and he could not see. But after a few minutes (felt like hours) in the pits, Bob got his lens back on and off he went:”

Bill’s comment above about Lake Afton being a “fake Pan American event” indicates the Pan American concept fell apart after the Ponca City race. The St. Louis race was never held, and apparently the end of year contingency fund never materialized. Oklahoma Region held an 84 lap SSS – SSC enduro in 1976, but the concept was abandoned for 1977 and later.

1975 Ponca Entry Supplemental Regulations (Chinese Fire Drill ?)

e. The National Championship Points races will be run from rolling starts in groups as shown on the attached schedule.

The Cherokee Strip event will he an 82-lap endurance contest for Showroom Stock Sedans and Showroom Sports Cars run from a Le Mans start. A Marshal will be assigned to each car in the contest. He will supervise the car, its drivers and crew throughout the contest. At the start driver must be in car with restraints fastened, door closed and receive Marshal’s “OK” before starting engine and proceeding with race. Each car will make a mandatory pit stop for which the procedure must be as follows:

Assigned Marshal notified by crew car is coming in to pits; car is pitted where designated by Marshal; with car in pit and engine off driver shall unfasten restraints, exit car through door end close door completely, travel on foot around car and return to driver’s side door, open door and re-enter car, fasten restraints, close door, receive Marshal’s “OK”l, restart car with onboard starter, return to the course under the Starter’s direction. If requested, Marshal will authorize substitution of registered co-driver at point where driver has completed trip around car and reopened door ready to re-enter or at any other pit stop after the mandatory pit stop and procedure. Marshal may authorize driver changes at other times. Three crew members and co-driver may assist driver in making repairs and adjustments while car is in its pit. At any other place only the driver of the car at that time may work on the car.

If at any time during the race driver is in car without restraints fastened and engine is running, Marshal shall immediately notify the Chief Steward who will take appropriate action.

The purse for the Cherokee Strip “82”, guaranteed minimum $600, will be divided between the SSS and SSC classes in proportion to the entries in each class. The total allocated to each class will be divided among the first 10 finishers in that class in proportion to the Pan-American Championship points each earned to the total of such points earned by all competitors in that class based on the following point system for finishers in the class: 30, 20, 15, 11, , 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.

The Other Races

1975 was a great year at Ponca City. The "Pan American Championship" enduro was a howling success as noted in another article, and 173 cars took the track over the weekend.

The "Big Iron" feature race had an outstanding field with 3 ASR, 1 BSR, 7 AP, 9 BP, 3 AS and 4 CP h favorite Fred Parkhill parked his McLaren on lap one, 1974 feature winner Bud Crout did likewise on lap four. For the remaining twenty six laps David Jungerman's Camaro and Jerry Crew's AS Mustang battled for the lead. Humorously, the only photos we have of Jungerman show him spinning, more than once, at Turn Six (The Flatiron). His spins must have been in practice as David won but Jerry set a new AS lap record.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos werue taken by Jerry Doctor of Nebraska Region, SCCA. Editor's Comments: We apologize for the quality of some of the results. Mimeographed copies are all that were available for most races.